Under the Tree

Atli (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson) is kicked out of the house by his wife for watching sex tapes of an old girlfriend. Atli's only refuge is his parents' home. He arrives in the middle of an ongoing spat with next-door neighbors (Selma Björnsdóttir and Þorsteinn Bachmann), who want Atli's parents' large tree trimmed because it shades their balcony. Director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson and cinematographer Monika Lenczewska can make the sight of sun-dappled leaves rustling in a summer breeze seem ominous. In fact, the steady, silent visuals in Under the Tree underscore the lack of communication between family and neighbors. Proving that small things in life can add up to big problems, the tension escalates until not even cats and dogs are safe. Questions about what rules good people should live by, and exactly who are the good people, keep viewers engaged to see just how far things will go.—Dave Nuttycombe

In Icelandic with English subtitles

WORLD VIEW

Under the Tree

Atli (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson) is kicked out of the house by his wife for watching sex tapes of an old girlfriend. Atli's only refuge is his parents' home. He arrives in the middle of an ongoing spat with next-door neighbors (Selma Björnsdóttir and Þorsteinn Bachmann), who want Atli's parents' large tree trimmed because it shades their balcony. Director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson and cinematographer Monika Lenczewska can make the sight of sun-dappled leaves rustling in a summer breeze seem ominous. In fact, the steady, silent visuals in Under the Tree underscore the lack of communication between family and neighbors. Proving that small things in life can add up to big problems, the tension escalates until not even cats and dogs are safe. Questions about what rules good people should live by, and exactly who are the good people, keep viewers engaged to see just how far things will go.—Dave Nuttycombe